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HMM/mvg@ MM E@ NQ NA PETERS, PHOTALITMOGRAFMER. WASHINGTON D C EDWARD T. B-RIG G-S., OF BOST'() N, MASSACHSETT'S.

A Letters Patent No. 68,552, dated September 3, 1867; antedated August 26, 1867.

IMP'ROV-ED CURTAIN FIXTURE.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERNi Be it known that I, EDWARD T. BRIGGS, of Boston, in` thecounty of'Suiiolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainilnprovemen-ts in Curtain Fixtures, of which the following is a' full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the'accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which--v Figure l is a plan representing my improvements applied to a curtain `woundv upon its roll, which is supported in brackets attached to a 'window-frauie.A Y i i Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure-3 is a section on thc line :c a: of g. 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of mylimproved plate to be attached to one end of the curtain-roll.

. Figure 5 is a perspec-tive view of the bracket, with the device I employ in connection with the plate shown in g. d.

Figure 6 is a section on the line yy' of iig.' V3.

Figures 7 and S aremodiications of the plate sliown in fig. 4, and the bracket on which it revolves.

My invention relates to that class-oi` curtain ixturesin which the weight is dispensed with and the curtain wound up by the employment of a spring. When it is required to remove a fixture of this description from. `its brackets, it becomes necessary iso-connect the central rod or spindle to the tube or casing surrounding it by means of a pin, in order to vprevent the spring from being unwound any further than is necessary .to lroll up the curtain. Besides the inconvenience, it frequently happens that the spring becomes unwound, and inthe attempts to wnd'it up the roll is liable to be turned in the wrong direction, to thev injury of the spring The object of my invention is to'avoid the above-mentioned-diiliculties, and consists in the employment of a cord or tape, one end Aof which is secured to the rod or spindle around which theV roll revolves, and to which is attached one end of the spring, the other end of the cord or tape being secured to a block which is fitted into the roll so as to revolve o`r remain. stationary in common therewith; the curtain, when rolled up by the recoil of the spring, serving to wind the cord or tape tightly around the rod er spindle, and preventv the spring from recoiling any further than necessaryto -wind up the curtain, by which arrangement there is no possibility of unwinding the spring or turning it in a wrong direction when -the roll is removcd from the brackets; and' my invention consists in certain improvements in the mechanism by which `the curtain-may be retained at any desired height.

-To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In theA said'drawinggA is a hollow casing of metal orother suitable material, in which is formed a grdove, a,rfor the reception of the upper end of the curtain or shade, B, which is confined in place therein .by means of a-rod or cord,` passing through .its hem. Within one end of this casing A is iitted a circular block, (D, pro- Avided with a notch or recess, c, to allow the block to he slipped over the portion 7 of the casing forming the outside of the groove a, and thereby prevent its revolution independently thereof.l A circular hole is bored i'n the block C to receive one end of a circular rod or spindle, D,'the other lend of which rests in a suitable bearing provided for it in the bracket E, attached to the window-frame F. G is a metal plate secured` to one end of the easing A. The plate G is provided with a short cylindrical arbor, 8, which rests upon andrevolves freely within a bearing in the outer, end of a bracket, H, also attached to the window-frame, projections d e being .formed on the outside of this plate, for a'purpose to be described hereafter.d Surrounding the rod or spindle D is aspiral spring, I, one end of which passes through a hole, f, in the rod, and is secured thereto,'while the other end of the spring .is secured to a cylindrical block, J, which is fitted within the casing A by means-of the notch g, sliding over the portion 7 of the casing forming the outside of the bottoni of the groove a. A hollow cylindrical block or dru1n,'K, is placed Within the casing near the block Land is provided with a circular hole, h, for the' reception of the rod or spindle D, thediameter of the hole 7L being of suiiicient size to allow thcvrod to revolve freely therein. To therod o rspindle D is secured, at z', one end of a tape, L, theother end of which is passed through an opening in the 4shell of the block K, and is fastened to its outer periphery. The oiiiceof this tape will now be described. When the spring is wound up by the curtain being drawn down, the tape -is unwound, and when it. is desired to raise the curtain the spring is prevented from recoiling any farther than necessary to wind up the curtain by the tape winding tightlyaronnd the rod or spindle D, thus preventinglits i further revolution in the same direction. v.

The construction and operation of the mechanism whereby the curtain is supported at any desired height will now be explained. M is an arm or lever, pivoted at' c to the insideof the bracket H, and is provided-with a notch or recess, Z, which engages with the projections de as they revolve under the lever, the gravity of which serves to keep it in a position to allow of this being done, the lever being)r provided with -a-projection, m, by which it is prevented from being thrown over too far out of contact with the projections d'e. When the curtain is to be raised its yfull height, one of the projections, d or c, is disengaged from the recess Zin the lever, by slightly pulling down the curtain, when it is free to be drawn rapidly up by the recoil of the spring, thel revolution of the roll being so rapid that the projections Z c throw up the lever, and the curtain is prevented from winding further than required, by the tape winding tightly around the shaft. 'When the curtain is to be onlyV partially rolled up, 'after pulling it down slightly to release the projection d or e from the recess Z, the cord at the bottom of the curtain is retained in the hand, so as to prevent the too rapid recoilof the spring, and thus raise the curtain sutliciently slow to allow one of the projections d e to fall into 'the recess Zwhen required. It is evident that the plate G may-be provided with a socket, 9, as shown in iig. T, and the bracket N provided with an arbor, 10, to allow it to revolve thereon, Without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The tape L, or its equivalent, for connecting the rod or spindle D tothe block K.` or to the casing A, operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth. v

I-also claim thc bracket H, with its bearing, and the'lever M, with its notch. or recess Z, in combination with the4 plate G, or its equivalent, provided with its arbor 8 and projections de, constructed, arranged,- and operated substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth. l

EDWARD T. BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

P. E. TEscnnMAeHnn. N. W. S'rnAnNs. 

